Gaddafi buried in desert as family plans to leave to S. Africa

Published October 25th, 2011 - 07:52 GMT

Official from the Libyan Transitional National Council said that the body of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would be buried today (Tuesday)

Official from the Libyan Transitional National Council said that the body of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi would be buried today (Tuesday) in a secret location in the Libyan Sahara desert. The official told Reuters by telephone, "The body will be buried today in a common funeral and the burial process will be attended by the elders. This will be an unannounced location in the desert."

Earlier, officials from the Transitional Council conveyed that negotiations were underway with representatives of Gaddafi's tribe about where and how to bury the body of Gaddafi and his son Mutasim, who was killed last Thursday.

The official said "there was no agreement with the tribe to hand over his body." In response to a question about whether his son Mu'tasim will be buried in the same ceremony, the official said, "Yes."

Meanwhile, according to press sources, Gaddafi family members now living in Algeria will soon leave to South Africa instead of a Gulf state. An Algerian newspaper reported Tuesday morning that the Gaddafi family members in Algeria, including Gaddafi's wife Safiya, his daughter Aisha and his two sons, Hannibal and Muhammad will go in the near future to South Africa.